Indie Book Connect Subscription Box Review + Coupon – May 2017

This post may contain referral/affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Indie Book Connect is a monthly book subscription box for folks who feel like they’ve read it all, or are just looking for something off the beaten path. Each month, they’ll send you two new books from two different indie authors just waiting to be discovered.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

The Cost: $20.00 per month, or choose a 3-month prepay plan for $57.00 ($19.00 per month), a 6-month prepay plan for $105.00 ($17.50 per month), or a 12-month prepay plan for $192.00 ($16.00 per month)

The info card appears in every package. It’s a nice reminder to not just read, but get involved!

Indie Book Connect has set up a Goodreads group to foster discussion about these books, too.

Die Cut – Value $0.10?

At first I thought this was a summery sticker, but it turns out, it’s just a cardboard die cut, like you’d find in a scrapbooking aisle. It’s big enough to be a bookmark, so I assume that’s how it was intended. A little random, sure, but I’ll take it.

It looks like this month’s package is going to be full of sci-fi finds. The first book follows a plot that’s kind of like Twilight, plus Hunger Games, but with witches thrown in for good measure.

Book Summary on Amazon:

Fifteen-year-old high school sophomore Alexia Wick is an ordinary girl, with extraordinary abilities. She attends the prestigious South Haven Academy for the Gifted and Talented, but unknown to the other students, she is an Alerium witch. Alexia has the power to conjure up wind, fire, and water. Although magic can be beautiful and spellbinding, it can also be deadly. The daughter of a High Priest and Priestess, Alexia must learn to navigate the pressures of high school, all while preparing for one of the biggest competitions of her life- the Annual Trials.

Skill, stamina, and loyalty will all be tested in Rise, the first installment of the Trifecta Series. In this debut YA contemporary fantasy novel, magic gets real as Alexia trains for the Annual Trials, which pits teen against teen, by focusing on her craft and pushing her magic and spell casting abilities to their absolute limit. When the handsome and confident Kaleb moves into town, he offers Alexia a welcome distraction from the Trials, but a dark secret could soon tear them apart.

In the trials arena friendships will be tested, fears will be faced head-on, and powerful spells will be unleashed. When Alexia is confronted with the ultimate game of chance, and is torn between her ﬁrst real love and the allegiance that binds her to her coven, will she buckle under the weight of the pressure … or will she rise to the challenge?

A cinematic literary masterpiece, Rise will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

The book is signed by the author, which I always think is a nice touch!

If you liked the book, there’s some information from the publisher about what’s coming next.

Next up is this story about covert operations and espionage. I’ll be honest, the way the book is written felt a little stifled and simplistic to me—the content of the story seems sophisticated, but the language is a little lacking in artistry.

Book Summary on Amazon:

After being out of the life of espionage of he cold war. Dean is thrown back into the world that he got out of after thirty years, to only discover thst the lines of betrayal and loyalty get crossed. With his only goal is to set the unfinished business to business that is finished by any mean necessary. Even if it means he has to use his specialty craft of being the chemist. As he travels across continents to set things straight he discovers a whole new meaning to family.

This one is also signed by the author!

It comes with a poster for the next book, too. I can’t lie, folks, I had a little chuckle at this poster. Trust me, I have so much love and admiration for anyone who has the talent and dedication to write a book, let alone two. But Unfinished: The Finishing as a title sounded a little too much like something Michael Scott from the Office might think up. Not saying it can’t be good! It’s just very melodramatic!

Verdict: This month’s package was a little underwhelming to me—the first book was fun in that great, indulgent way YA sci-fi romances can be, but the second book couldn’t quite hold my attention. The subscription is $25.00 per month for me, after shipping, but the books inside were only about $26.00 (with the bookmark, that’s still only about $27.00 total). A fair price, for sure, but I do with I had gotten two books of equal caliber—often I feel like there’s one solid book in each monthly package, and one that falls a little bit short. But that’s the nature of things, I suppose—I’ll always like one thing better than the next!

Anna loves collecting little treasures, be they pop-culture finds, handmade mementos, or new potions to put in her makeup bag. Beauty boxes got her interested in the subscription world, but now she’s swooning for all things kawaii!

All views in this review are the opinion of the author. My Subscription Addiction will never accept payment in exchange for a review, but will accept a box at no cost to provide honest opinions on the box. This post may contain affiliate/referral links. Read the complete My Subscription Addiction disclosure.

1 Comment

Heathery
May 31, 2017 at 9:20 am

I read a lot of indie novels in exchange for reviews, so I know how easily indie authors give them away. (Understandable since that’s the only way authors can really get people to know about their books.) With that knowledge, I feel like $25 for two INDIE books is a little high, especially since they could ship them Media Mail for only $3-5, depending on weight.